Barn Hammer Brewing Company
They say if you love what you brew, you’ll never work a day in your life. Tyler and Sable Birch opened Barn Hammer Brewing Company in July 2016. And while it has been fun, they are also open about the effort it takes to build a business based on the simple ingredients of water, grain and yeast. Tyler answered the Local Beat’s questions about what’s kept them hopping so far.
Q: Tell us about the beginnings of Barn Hammer.
A: I started with homebrewing. I read Michael Pollan’s book, Cooked, where the author explores the four elements fire, water, air, and earth in cooking. There’s science and magic involved in brewing, and that’s what held my interest.
I worked in construction. It’s hard on your body and not something you can do forever. Laws were changing in Manitoba that would allow for tasting rooms, where you could serve beer without also serving food. It was the right time for opening one in Winnipeg.
Q: What was it like to be a beer pioneer?
A: Getting a business off the ground is hard. At the time it felt horrible but looking back it went smoothly – as the first tasting room, the LGA (Liquor and Gaming Authority, now the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba) was helpful in answering our questions.
Q: How has the craft brew scene evolved here?
A: Compared to a place like Asheville, North Carolina, where they have 60-plus breweries, we have a ways to go. People are curious to come try, and we’re working to grow a culture of beer here. Thankfully we have had room to grow in our location (595 Wall Street), our original plan was 1/5 the size of what we have now!
Q: What has been your biggest challenge?
A: The first year and a half we were unhealthy. We were eating at 10:30 at night, working all the time. If you give all your love an energy to your business, there’s nothing left behind. Since we hired more staff, we look back now and say, ‘How did we do that and all the other stuff?’
Q: What’s next for Barn Hammer Brewing?
We’re just hitting our stride now. We have our signature brews and our seasonal and experimental batches keep it interesting. There’s always more to learn.
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Thumbnail Photo by Symon Ptashnick
